🪷 Bhagavad-Gītā · 4.29

4.29 अपाने in the outgoing breath? जुह्वति sacrifice? प्राणम् incoming breath? प्राणे in the incoming breath? अपानम् outgoing breath? तथा thus? अपरे others? प्राणापानगती courses of the outgoing and incoming breaths? रुद्ध्वा restraining? प्राणायामपरायणाः solely absorbed in the restraint of breath.Commentary Some Yogis practise Puraka (inhalation)? some Yogis practise Rechaka (exhalation)?,and some Yogis practise Kumbhaka (retention of breath).The five subPranas and the other Pranas are merged in the chief Prana (MukhyaPrana) by the practice of Pranayama. When the Prana is controlled? the mind also stops its wanderings and becomes steady the senses are also thinned out and merged in the Prana. It is through the vibration of Prana that the activities of the mind and the senses are kept up. If the Prana is controlled? the mind? the intellect and the senses cease to function.

4.29 Pranayama-parayanah, constantly practising control of the vital forces-i.e. they practise a form of pranayama called Kumbhaka (stopping the breath either inside or outside) ['Three sorts of motion of Pranayama (control of the vital forces) are, one by which we draw the breath in, another by which we throw it out, and the third action is when the breath is held in the lungs or stopped from entering the lungs.'-C.W., Vol.I, 1962, p. 267. Thus, there are two kinds of Kumbhaka-internal and external.]-; prana-apana-gati ruddhva, by stopping the movements of the outgoing and the incoming breaths-the outgoing of breath (exhalation) through the mouth and the nostrils is the movement of the Prana; as opposed to that, the movement of Apana is the going down (of breath) (inhalation); these constitute the prana-apana-gati, movements of Prana and Apana; by stopping these; some juhvati, offer as a sacrifice; pranam, the outgoing breath, which is the function of Prana; apane, in the incoming breath, which is the function of Apana-i.e. they practised a form of pranayama called Puraka ('filling in'); while tatha apare, still others; offer apanam, the incoming breath; prane, in the outgoing breath, i.e. they practise a form of pranayama called Recaka ('emptying out'). [Constantly practising control of the vital, forces, they perform Kumbhaka after Recaka and Puraka.]

4.29 - 4.30 Other Karma Yogins are devoted to the practice of breath control. They are of three types because of the differences in inhalation, exhalation and stoppage of breath. Puraka (inhalation) is that in which the inward breath is sacrificed in the outward breath. Recaka (exhalation) is that when the outward breath is sacrificed in the inward breath. Kumbhaka (stoppage of breath) is that when the flow of both inward and outward breaths is stopped. The clause, restricting of diet, applies to all the three types of persons devoted to the control of breath. All these, according to their liking and capacity are engaged in performing the various kinds of Karma Yoga beginning from the sacrifice of material objects to the control of breath. They know and are devoted to sacrifices comprising obligatory and occasional rituals preceded by the performance of 'the great sacrifices' (Panca-Maha-Yajna), as alluded to in 'Creating men along with the sacrifices' (3.10). Because of this only, their sins are done away with. Those who are engaged in Karma Yoga by sustaining their bodies only by the ambrosia of sacrificial remains will go to the eternal Brahman. 'Go to Brahman' here means realise the self which has Brahman for Its soul.

4.29 See Comment under 4.30

।।4.29।। इस श्लोक में आत्मसंयम के लिये उपयोगी प्राणायाम विधि का वर्णन किया गया है जिसका अभ्यास कुछ साधकगण करते हैं।अन्दर ली जाने वाली वायु को प्राण तथा बाहर छोड़ी जाने वाली वायु को अपान कहते हैं। योगशास्त्र के अनुसार हमारी श्वसन क्रिया के तीन अंग हैं पूरक रेचक और कुम्भक। श्वास द्वारा वायु को अन्दर लेने को पूरक तथा उच्छ्वास द्वारा बाहर छोड़ने को रेचक कहते हैं। एक पूरक और एक रेचक के बीच कुछ अन्तर होता है। जब वायु केवल अन्दर ही या केवल बाहर ही रहती है तो इसे कुम्भक कहते हैं। सामान्यत हमारी श्वसन क्रिया नियमबद्ध नहीं होती। अत पूरककुम्भकरेचककुम्भक रूप प्राणायाम की विधि का उपदिष्ट अनुपात में अभ्यास करने से प्राण को संयमित किया जा सकता है जो मनसंयम के लिये उपयोगी सिद्ध हो सकता है। इस श्लोक में क्रमश रेचक पूरक और कुम्भक का उल्लेख है। प्राणायाम को यज्ञ समझ कर जो व्यक्ति इसका अभ्यास करता है वह अन्य उपप्राणों को मुख्य प्राण में हवन करना भी सीख लेता है।जैसी कि सामान्य धारणा है प्राण का अर्थ केवल वायु अथवा श्वास नहीं है। हिन्दु शास्त्रों में प्रयुक्त प्राण शब्द का अभिप्राय जीवन शक्ति के उन कार्यो से है जो एक जीवित व्यक्ति के शरीर में होते रहते हैं। शास्त्रों में वर्णित पंचप्राणों का अध्ययन करने से ज्ञात होता है कि वे शरीर धारणा के पाँच प्रकार के कार्य हैं। वे पंचप्राण हैं प्राण अपान व्यान समान और उदान जो क्रमश विषय ग्रहण मलविसर्जन शरीर में रक्त प्रवाह अन्नपाचन एवं विचार की क्षमताओं को इंगित करते हैं। सामान्यत मनुष्य को इन क्रियायों का कोई भान नहीं रहता परन्तु प्राणायाम के अभ्यास से इन सबको अपने वश में रखा जा सकता है। अत वास्तव में प्राणायाम भी एक उपयोगी साधना है।अगले श्लोक में अन्तिम बारहवीं प्रकार की साधना का वर्णन किया गया है